Buckling snubber



July 26, 1966 v. CARDER ETAL 3,262,598

BUGKLING SNUBBBR Filed April 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'Z/l/ l/l/l// l i INVENTORS V'cfor H Carder Shira A'sawa BY Z ATTORNEY y 1966 v. CARDER ETAL 2 5 BUCKLING SNUBBER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 29, 1964 women DEFLECTION United States Patent O Navy Filed Apr. 29, 1964, Ser. No. %3,656 3 Claims. (CI. 217--53) This invention relates to a buckling snubber used to absorb shocks or to cushion an object, when in a storage container, against shock or sudden impact.

In installations such as missile storage, particularly the storage of missiles to be used at sea, where the rolling of the ship will cause the missile to tend to move in its container, it is necessary to cushion the missile against shock or impact. It is necessary that the missile be cushioned in all directions so that virtua-lly the missile needs to be nested within a cushioning layer of shock resisting material. Where the cushioning efiect is dependent entirely on the elasticity of the material such as foam rubber, the initial resistance to a force is slight. It is necessary to sustain the missile in a desired position under more force thauthe ordina-ry foam rubber will give initially but which will yield under more than normal Shock to cushion and to prevent damage to the missile.

lt is an object of the present invention to provide a buckh'ng snubber which will effectively prevent excessive motion due to ordinary rolling and pitching of a vessel while still providing effective cushioning and snubbing protection for more than ord-inary shocks.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a snubber which may enclose the missile to provide effective resilient support with low deflection under ordinary loads or shocks but which will under more than ordinary loads buckle and permit limited movement of the missile until the buckling movement reaches its end and will then continue to give resilient support due to its inherent structure and provide the missile with resilient yet firm support under almost any load.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a snubber comprising a rubber box section adapted to receive a Shock or support a load. The size of the load it will carry before buckling depends primarily on the crosssectional area, thickness and height, as well as the material of which it is constructed, of the side walls, and which when the maximum load capable of being supported before buckling .is reached, will completely buckle with little additional load until the end of the buckling operation is reached, and at this point will continue to give resilient support to the load rcgardless of additional force or load.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a rubber box section and, within the section, insert means to control the buck-ling operation, so that the collapse of the side walls of the box section will be in the direction desired.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible insert for the box section that will insure the collapse of the side walls in the direction desired and will add to the cushioning action of the snubber, both in supporting a greater load before the buckling operation and after the buckling operation aid in cushioning a greater load.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a section of the buckling snubber in its simplest aspect;

FIG. 2 shows the snubber of FIG. 1 while in the buckling operation;

3,262598 Paterted July 26, 1966 ice FIG. 3 shows the snubber of FIG. 1' in its collapsed state',

FIGS. 4a and 4b indicate positions the snubber might take in its collapsed state which are undesirable;

FIG. 5 shows the snubber of FIG. 1 with modified side walls to insure directional movement of the side walls to a desired buckled position;

FIG. 6 shows the snubber of FIG. 1 with an *insert which will insure the buckling of the side wall in the desired direction;

FIG. 7 shows the snubber of FIG. 6 during the buckling operation;

FIG. 8 shows a modified form of` insert which is nonresilient;

FIG. 9 shows a section with modified corrugated walls;

FIG. 10 is a graph of the action desired in the snubber.

Referring to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1-3, a section of the snubber is shown having a top 12, a bottom 13 and side walls 14. The snubber may be constructed of foam rubber or any resilient material which would give the desired results. When a force or load 15 is applied to the top or the bottom of the snubber such as the force created when a vessel rolls or pitches, and there is a tendency for the stored missile to move due to this rolling or pitching, the section will remain in the position shown in FIG. 1 and will furnish resilient support to the missile to maintain it in its stored vertical position. Should the pitching or other motion become greater than normal, the load 16 shown in FIG. 2 becomes greater and the side walls 14 will buckle. The desired direction is for the walls to buckle outward as shown'in FIG. 2 i

and collapse in the position shown in FIG. 3 where the collapsed snubber -will continue to give resilient support under almost any applied force or load.

The snubber, basically shown in FIG. 1, has the undesirable possibility of collapsing in the positions shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. Either of these two collapsed positions are undesirable. The snubber shown in FIG. 1 will, however, give adequate support under normal conditions and collapse generally to the desired position.

The snubber shown in FIG. 5 has its structure modified by reducing the thickness of the side walls 1'7 at 18 :and has the corners of the section formed with cut-out portions 19. These changes in the structure insure the collapsing or buckling of the walls in the desired direction when a force 21 is applied to the top of the snubber.

To insure the direction the walls Will take when bucklng without weakening the walls or without cutting the corners, an insert 23 may be added to the basic section shown in FIG. l, as shown in FIG. 6. The insert is formed of the same material and is of diamond conguration in cross-section. A load 22 will be supported without huckling of the side walls 14. A load 24, greater than load 22, on the top of the snubber shown in FIG. 6 will cause the side walls to buckle outwardly as shown ir FIG. 7. The insert adds to the strength of the resilien support both before and after the buckling operation The insert of FIGS. 6 and 7 may be made in any desire shape or configuration which will insure the side wall buckling in the desired direction.

FIG. 8 shows the snubber with an insert 26 formed c a non-resilient material. This insert, while not adding t the resiliency of the support, will insure the buckling the side walls in the desired direction.

FIG. 9 shows another modified section having a top 2 bottom 28 and side walls 29. The side walls are form with corrugations 31 along the longitudinal centerli and the section has portions of its interior corners 1 moved as at 32 to insure the buckling of the side wa in the desired direction. The corrugations 'are form to be outward of an inner plane extending vertically fr( the interior juncture of the side walls with the top a bottom walls to insure outward buckling. The modified side walls of FIG. 9 gives greater support before buckling than straight Walls.

FIG. 10 illustrates a graph showing the desired characteristics in a buckling snubber, where the snubber Will perform in accordance with the graph, buckling under repeating the performance witha desired shape of minimum height.

Obviously many modifications present invention are possible in teachings. It is therefore to be and variations of the the light of the above than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A buckling snubber comprising:

a hollow box section formed of integral top and bottom sections and side walls;

the exterior corners of said section being cut away to insure buckling of the side walls outwardly when said section is subject to a predetermined load.

References Cited by the Examie' UNITED STATES PATENTS 567,898 9/1896 Grimm 217-35 2,036,876 4/1936 Kraft 217- 52 2,609,l36 9/ 1952 Sder 229-14 2,727,738 12/ 1955 Lndley 217-53 2,828,902 4/ 1958 Ringler 229-14 2,880,885 4/ 1959 Willison 248 22 2,954,054 9/ 1960 Shelly 229-14 THERON E. CONDON, Pr'mary Exam'ner. R. H. SCHWARTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BUCKLING SNUBBER COMPRISING: A HOLLOW BOX SECTION FORMED OF INTEGRAL TOP AND BOTTOM SECTIONS AND SIDE WALLS; THE EXTERIOR CORNERS OF SAID SECTION BEING CUT AWAY TO INSURE BUCKLING OF THE SIDE WALLS OUTWARDLY WHEN SAID SECTION IS SUBJECT TO A PREDETERMINED LOAD. 